Category Archives: Australian politics

Australia news live: Morrison ‘in complete denial’ over robodebt, Shorten says as former PM seen back in public

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Government services minister says royal commission ‘is gripping reading’. Follow live news updates today

Cash says department was responsible for contracts amid reports of money paid to Pacific politicians over detention processing

Cash has also brushed off the Coalition government’s role in media reports of the taxpayer money for detention processing that went to Pacific politicians.

There is no suggestion that Peter Dutton himself played a part in signing the contracts. These contracts are signed by the Department of Home Affairs.

What Mr. Burke seems to want to do now is to reintroduce the uncertainty that existed prior to a legislation the Coalition government introduced.

… What this gets down to is one thing. These changes are part of the Albanese government’s ongoing campaign to attack and undermine those who choose to undertake casual work, despite the fact that it works for millions of Australians.

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Essential poll: sizeable support for Daniel Andrews’ decision to scrap Commonwealth Games

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Almost 60% of people support players receiving equal pay in the Women’s World Cup

More than 40% of Australians agree with Daniel Andrews’ controversial decision to scrap the Commonwealth Games, with his home state most supportive of the move, new polling shows.

While critics bemoaned the decision as “an international embarrassment”, the latest Guardian Essential poll found Australians were less invested, with 41% of those polled agreeing with the Victorian government’s decision, while 36% disagreed and 24% were unsure.

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Australia news live: voice support strong in Victoria because state ‘about ideology not common sense’, Nampijinpa Price says

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No campaign ‘offers no solutions and no vision’: young Indigenous leaders

The youth declaration urged Australians to educate themselves on the change, claiming “the no campaign offers no solutions and no vision for our young people’s futures, or our families and communities”.

We are excited that our Uluru Youth Dialogue, as the leading and only youth-led campaign, will be at the forefront of this referendum working alongside the senior leaders of the Uluru Dialogue.

These statistics are important. They paint a picture of a media debate that has shut out young people and their voices. Especially the voices of First Nations young people.

It is our future. Young people are crucial to this movement. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, carrying forward the spirit and legacies of warriors before us.

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Businessman linked to Stuart Robert not to face inquiry because he has ‘severed all ties’ with Australia

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John Margerison was due to front parliamentary committee hearing into government contracts but his lawyer says he now lives overseas

A businessman with links to former Liberal MP Stuart Robert will not face a parliamentary committee inquiry because he has “severed all ties” with Australia, his lawyer says.

The joint committee of public accounts and audit (JCPAA) is investigating how government contracts are awarded. It has heard allegations – which Robert strenuously denies – that lobbying firm Synergy 360 proposed a structure that would benefit Robert financially.

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Indigenous voice opponents’ call for more detail is a furphy, Noel Pearson says

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Indigenous leader says referendum will be won if yes campaign can ‘find the better angels’ in Australian community

The Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says politicians’ calls for detail on the voice to parliament are disingenuous and a “furphy”, stressing it would be the job of those very MPs to help design the body after the referendum.

The comments came as the acting Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, continued the opposition’s call for detail on the voice.

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Tensions emerge between state and federal governments over Australia’s energy grid roadmap

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Exclusive: disquiet points to jockeying among jurisdictions and impatience over the rollout of renewables

Cracks in the unity of the nation’s energy ministers have emerged amid disquiet over a review of power grid plans and an effort by the federal government to force carbon offsets from big new gas fields on to the states.

Almost two weeks on from a gathering of energy and climate ministers in Tasmania, senior officials expressed concern about how the review of the integrated system plan (ISP) – the grid’s roadmap – would be handled. One concern was that the federal energy minister, Chris Bowen’s department would be handling the review.

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Search continues for entrepreneur after Sydney boat crash – as it happened

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Police extend search for Andrew Findlay after body of art dealer Tim Klingender was found. This blog is now closed

A man and woman will face court today in Melbourne accused of murder after the body of a man in his 40s was found in a city street, AAP reports.

Police say the charges follow an alleged incident at a home near Glen Waverley train line in Binalong Avenue, Chadstone on Tuesday, where a man in his 40s was fatally assaulted.

It can be a sensitive and confronting topic for many people so it is important that any future legislation is done through intensive and thorough consultation with all Territorians.

This is an imperative step forward for the Territory and I am honoured to play my part in this important consultation process.

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Senior public servants criticised by robodebt royal commission scrubbed from organisational charts

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Lawyer Annette Musolino is on leave, as PM’s department assistant secretary Russell De Burgh is replaced on staff listing

Two public servants adversely named by the robodebt royal commission have been quietly scrubbed from organisational charts, including the former top lawyer at Services Australia who had spent months assisting the commission.

Annette Musolino, who was general counsel at the Department of Human Services (DHS) at the time of the unlawful debt recovery program and later chief operating officer of the department, renamed Services Australia, is on leave.

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Morrison government struck secret deal to pay PNG to take refugees and asylum seekers

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Exclusive: Australian government is refusing to say how much it is giving Papua New Guinea under the agreement

The Australian government is refusing to say how much it is paying to Papua New Guinea in a secret agreement to hold about 75 refugees and asylum seekers in Port Moresby.

Parliamentary documents have revealed for the first time this week that the Morrison government signed a “confidential bilateral agreement” with PNG in December 2021, paying the PNG government to provide welfare and support for refugees forcibly sent to PNG by Australia.

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Australia news live: new fire ant infestation just 5km from NSW border prompts fears of southern invasion

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Invasive Species Council calls on governments to urgently fast-track funding for ramped-up eradication program. Follow live news updates today

Gold Coast’s offer to host the Commonwealth Games is set to fall at the first hurdle, with the Albanese government unlikely to financially back the lifeline, as AAP reports.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate has launched a late bid for the 2026 Games after Victoria pulled out of hosting the global sports event.

I just think that this is unlikely given the focus and the investment that we are making in Brisbane in the lead up to 2032.

I have always been a supporter of this concept because I think it will help people make better community-level decisions.

But I fear the process has not yielded enough consensus to garner a yes vote.

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Big W ditches in-store announcements that supported Indigenous voice to parliament

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Discount chain, owned by Woolworths, says decision is due to feedback from staff and customers

Big W has abandoned in-store announcements that expressed support for the Indigenous voice to parliament, citing responses from customers and staff.

The discount chain, owned by supermarket operator Woolworths, recently used an acknowledgment of country across its stores that affirmed support for the constitutional change to be voted on at an upcoming referendum.

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Labor to consider ways to protect ABC and SBS from future funding threats

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Michelle Rowland says review into security of national broadcasters will consider options to support their independence

A review into the security of ABC and SBS funding will examine ways to protect the public broadcasters from future threats of privatisation and arbitrary funding cuts, the communications minister Michelle Rowland has said.

Rowland told an ABC Friends dinner the communications department review would consider options to support the independence of the ABC and the SBS and it was open for public submissions.

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‘Teal-style’ search: NSW Liberals look beyond membership in bid to unseat Zali Steggall

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Party members in Warringah encouraged to nominate possible candidates via expressions of interest form

The Liberal party has launched a “teal-style” search beyond their own membership in a bid to find someone who could oust independent MP Zali Steggall from the former blue-ribbon seat of Warringah.

More than a year before an election could possibly be called, branch members were this week sent an email from the local federal electorate convention (FEC), asking for nominations from within the community – no matter their party status. This comes after federal leader Peter Dutton urged branches to begin their preselection processes.

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Minister orders briefing on $33m grant – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

New Zealand PM to address media shortly

New Zealand’s prime minister Chris Hipkins is set to address media at 10:15am New Zealand time about the shooting in Aukland this morning.

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‘Beloved son of the Labor party’: Simon Crean farewelled at state funeral

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Anthony Albanese among political figures, unionists and family members to pay tribute to former leader

Simon Crean has been remembered as a “beloved son of the Labor party” at a heartfelt state funeral in Melbourne.

Political figures from both major parties, including Anthony Albanese and Daniel Andrews, attended St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday, where the former federal Labor leader was laid to rest at a state funeral.

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Australia to gain priority access to US military equipment under Washington proposal

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Aukus requests would be handled faster than almost all applications ‘other than from Taiwan and Ukraine’

Australian requests for US military equipment would be handled faster than almost all applications “other than from Taiwan and Ukraine” under a proposal before the US Senate.

The Australian government has long viewed the complex web of US export controls as a potential barrier to the Aukus security partnership.

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PwC-backed mental health platform was scrapped after $33m government trial launched without open tender

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Experts call for transparency over Project Synergy grant awarded to Innowell, whose platform is no longer used by the federal health department

A PwC-backed startup received tens of millions of taxpayer dollars through a closed, non-competitive grant to develop a digital mental health platform, which was almost scrapped due to health workers finding it an administrative burden.

Policy experts and transparency watchdogs have raised alarm about the grant and called on the federal government to explain why the money was not allocated through an open and competitive process to ensure value for money.

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Labor faces internal fight over native forest logging despite emissions pledge

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Labor’s Environment Action Network says draft national platform ‘very, very weak’ on opposing native forest logging and land clearing

Labor has significantly beefed up its commitment to reduce emissions in the gas industry but still faces a fight at its national conference over “weak” policies on native forest logging.

Labor’s Environment Action Network (Lean) has now signed up 294 branches for its push to end native forest logging and broad scale land clearing, but both policies were omitted from the draft national platform distributed to delegates on Monday.

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News live: Burney rules out voice debate with Price, saying ‘this is about Australians not politics’

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Minister for education Jason Clare said increasing access to a Commonwealth-supported place at university will cost $34m over the next four years – “That’s a pretty good investment”.

He said on ABC RN this morning:

If you’re a young Indigenous person today, you’re more likely to go to jail than you are to university.

The cost of having somebody in jail every year is about $120,000. The cost of a university place is $11,000.

Tuna sushi.

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Public servants complained about PwC ‘spamming’ them with unsolicited work offers, emails reveal

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Correspondence released by agriculture department shows level of discomfort among officials about embattled firm’s efforts to land new contracts

Senior public servants have complained about PwC “spamming” them with unsolicited bids for work, internal emails reveal, with department managers told to be vigilant about the potential misuse of government information and the importance of protecting taxpayer money.

The emails, released by the department of agriculture, provide more detail about a practice criticised by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and demonstrate the level of discomfort within the public service about PwC’s methods of trying to land new contracts.

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